Nawaz Sharif will never let COAS to be appointed on merit: ex-PM Imran Khan claims

GUJRAT, Nov 11 (SABAH): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has reiterated that incumbent coalition government would not appoint next army chief on merit, saying Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif would not let it happen.

“Whoever is on merit should become the next army chief but Nawaz Sharif would not let it happen because they want to control the institutions to save their looted wealth,” he said while addressing PTI’s long march via video link in Gujrat on Friday. Imran claimed PML-N has a history of influencing and attempting state institutions to save their looted wealth and evade accountability.

“Prime Minister of Pakistan [Shehbaz Sharif] is visiting Britain to meet his brother who is an absconder and escaped to London under the guise of medical treatment,” he added. Imran said PM Shehbaz went to London to take important decisions of Pakistan with the consultation of his “absconder” brother.

“The one [Nawaz Sharif] who looted country for the 30 years will make decisions about army chief’s appointment, elections date and caretaker setup,” he said. “No one can even imagine that this can happen in a civilised society because rule of law prevails there.”

Imran said the decisions that are being taken in London were not aimed at strengthening institutions “because Sharif family does not believe in merit.” “Nawaz Sharif had recruited criminals in Punjab police by taking bribes… they tried to buy off judges and they [PML-N] attacked former chief justice Sajjad Ali because he was not under their control.”

The PTI chief’s statement came a day after PML-N supremo Nawaz and PM Shehbaz Sharif decided that all decisions concerning the political affairs of the country will be taken at the ruling party’s will and judgement without coming under any pressure from anyone.

Imran Khan claimed former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and the PML-N supremo have destroyed the country by plundering national wealth. “They have been sending [looted] money abroad and that causes shortage of dollar in the country.” Imran said the country would not need to avail IMF bailout package if the “plundered wealth” was recovered from Nawaz and Zardari.

Reiterating his allegations, Imran said the incumbent chief election commissioner was a servant of Sharif family and under him fair and transparent elections were not possible in the country. They have appointed their ‘henchman’ as NAB chairman to close down their corruption cases and following amendments to the NAB law, no powerful can be held accountable.

Concluding his address, Imran urged his supporters to participate in the PTI’s long march for their future. “Do not fear anyone… this is all happening to scare us but don’t bow down to [these tactics],” he said while referring to Arshad Sharif murder and Azam Swati’s private video controversy.